Top year at ski hills, and it’s not over yet

Green grass might bring golfing and gardening to mind, but ski resorts say it’s still plenty white up high.

Although Mt. Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park will close at noon Sunday, other Inland Northwest slopes plan to remain open until Easter, which is April 8.

Silver Mountain Resort in Kellogg will continue to be open Saturdays as long as the snow holds.

Resort officials say this season has been as busy as any in the past, if not better. Lookout Pass broke its visitor record back in February, said Jim Schreiber, marketing director.

“We have nothing to say but good things for this season,” Schreiber said.

Advance season ticket sales for next year are “far exceeding our expectations,” Schreiber said. He said some buyers have been motivated by ticket price increases at other resorts – Lookout remains one of the least expensive slopes in the region.

“We’re kind of like the Wal-Mart of the ski areas – always low prices,” Schreiber said, laughing. “We price our tickets so people can come here not just two or three times a year.”

Lots of snow fell – Schweitzer had 25 feet over the season – but the winter also threw lots of weather extremes at resorts, including high winds, ice and rain. John Eminger, owner of 49 Degrees North near Chewelah, said the wild weather sometimes made it difficult for workers at the resort.

But Eminger’s not complaining. He’s expecting to meet or surpass all-time visitor numbers. “You could feed me winters like this all the time and I’d be happy as a pea in a pod,” Eminger said.

49 Degrees North offers free skiing its final week, beginning Monday. Eminger said upward of 9,000 people take advantage of the annual weeklong corn snow skiing sendoff party.

Most resorts have some sort of party to mark the final week. Schweitzer Resort is organizing a farewell celebration for its original chairlift, which is being replaced with a high-speed lift, said Jennifer Ekstrom, marketing coordinator.

Silver Mountain’s big blowout comes April 28 during its Leadman Triathlon, in which participants ski or snowboard as far as possible, then finish the rest of the run to the bottom on mountain bikes.

Although the lower portions of the mountain are now turning green, the upper slopes offer prime spring skiing conditions, said Stephen Lane, marketing director for Silver Mountain.

“People still don’t realize we’ve got another couple of weeks of daily skiing,” Lane said.